Rush County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 735 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.7M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 735
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 6
- 0.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 5.0 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very Low
Score 10.6 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 80.4 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.9B · Agriculture value exposed: $76.6M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.2M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$677K/yr expected annual loss, about 59 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$630K/yr expected annual loss, about 10 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$116K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- WildfireVery Low$46.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,005 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$51.1K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$852K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$558K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$315K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.2 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$19.8K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,004 years
- LightningVery Low$30.8K/yr expected annual loss, about 46 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$10.2K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$6/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 6 of 2,614 (0.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 7
- Claims paid since 1978
- $16K
Flood claims paid per year
- Midwest Flooding$8,434 · 3 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 735 events, 0 deaths, $12.1M in damage
- Hail398
- Thunderstorm Wind135
- Tornado37
- Heavy Rain37
- Heavy Snow21
- Winter Weather20
- Winter Storm19
- Flash Flood18
- High Wind16
- Flood8
Events per year
53 tornadoes on record (EF0 19, EF1 5, EF2 3, F0 12, F1 5, F2 4, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Hail1.75" hail05/24/1998
La Crosse, Rush County
$7M damage
What happened
Hail swath of 7 miles wide produced total devastation to some of the native grasses and destroyed most of the wheat. A USDA report indicated some hail up to softball size but gave no specific information.
- Hail1.75" hail05/17/1999
Rush Center, Rush County
$2.5M damage
What happened
Widespread severe weather continued from eastern Colorado, spreading across Rush county during the midnight hour. One person escaped injury by crawling out of bed! Golf ball size hail driven by 70 mph wind smashed through the window and window blind and passed by a man's head as he lay in bed. After the event, hail and glass shreds covered the bed. Loss to wildlife and some livestock across the county was heavy. There was a report of several dead cattle and many injured cow and horses. One-hundred thousand acres of wheat were mowed down, 3,500 acres of corn damaged and 4,000 acres of alfalfa destroyed (first cutting). $480,000 in damage was done to farm equipment across the county (included in the $2.48m)
- Hail2.75" hail07/03/2005
Otis, Rush County
$740K damage
What happened
Large hail and strong winds across Rush county caused 50 percent crop damage to 95,000 acres.
- Thunderstorm Wind06/22/1996
Alexander, Rush County
$550K damage
What happened
30 X 40 FOOT SHED DESTROYED...LARGE TREES AND BRANCHES DOWN...CAMPER TRAILER OVERTURNED...AROUND 100 POWER POLES DOWN.
- Hail1.75" hail07/03/2005
La Crosse, Rush County
$500K damage
What happened
The hail broke out 20 windows at the Rush county courthouse. Two patrol cars had their windshields broken out. Windows were also broken out of the St. Michaels Catholic Church...along with numerous homes and businesses.
- TornadoF2, 1.5 mi path, 100 yd wide04/22/2001
Rush Center, Rush County
$200K damage
What happened
Two farms received heavy damage (grain bins, roofs, shed and vehicle)
Drinking water
9 community water systems serve about 2,335 people. Violations since 2021.
2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 6 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Lacrosse, City ofServes 1,232 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Otis, City ofServes 297 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Bison, City ofServes 178 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Mccracken, City ofServes 154 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+21 monitoring or reporting
- Rush Co Rwd 1Serves 150 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+15 monitoring or reporting
- Rush Center, City ofServes 144 · Groundwater · Local government10 health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Liebenthal, City ofServes 92 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+15 monitoring or reporting
- Alexander, City ofServes 49 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Rush County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Kbk Industries LLC186,251 lbs released, Rush Center
Total: 186,251 lbs in 2024, 186,251 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Rush County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Rush County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.7M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), hail (relatively low), ice storm (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Rush County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 735 storm events affecting Rush County, most often hail (398), thunderstorm wind (135), tornado (37).
- How many tornadoes have hit Rush County?
- 53 tornadoes have been recorded in Rush County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Rush County have flood insurance?
- 6 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Rush County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $16K on 7 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Rush County?
- At Bison 3nw, average highs reach 92°F in Jul and lows fall to 16°F in Jan, with 26.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.